Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-11-27

| into the small of the back. After man
has ridden s. miles over the roads of
Palestine he gets used to it. The ''don't
have to- expression must be relegated
back to the United States, where it be-
| longs. 1t man ever expects to go to
| Jericho. | never before knew the
| significance Of the old negro mel
i ody Jordan is a Hard Road to Travel
| until l learned it by actual experience.
! The fame of that song has even reached
| the comprehension of the dragoman, and
mine begged Just for another verse of
! Jordan. When | stood on the stormy
banks" l RECALLED them with verse Of
! that other melody sang with SO much
| gusto by Wichitas great basso profundo,
| the whilom ''Pussey Jones':
Roll, Jordan roll, roll Jordan roll;
| want TO go TO Heaven when die,
To hear old Jordan roll"
As we descended from the last hill that
borders the plain of Jericho, the pano-
rama that lay spread out before us was
one of great beauty, monotonous enough
as it appeared TO us afterward, when OBJ
jects that appeared not more than mile
away were found, when we attempted to
reach them, to be three times that dis
lance. and l tell you every mile counts
here, with stiffened limbs, half blinded
eyes. flesh that feels basted and stomach
that yearns after the flesh pots of Kan
SaS.
The grass, if any grows here, was hi
bernating. and only thorns and briars
held up their heads in the greennesS of
life. deceptive as to utility, for seen from
the hills they give all the appearance of
trees that might have borne oranges,
figs or pomegranates. The last mile and
a half, though nearly on a level, seemed
of immeasurable length, but as the
| longest lane must have an end, SO did
this delectable road to Jericho, and about
o'clock we drew rein at the stables of
the Russian hotel and with great dignity
only another word for Stiffness-dis-
mounted. Proceeding to the hotel we
found it in charge of two French ladies
who politely ushered me into a chamber
where there was bed with snowy linen,
canopied with mosquito netting, an ever
of water and basin, clean towels, and as
| live, soap. Yes, actually SOAP. Spell
it in capitals for, this is the first soap
furnished Us by any hotel since we left
old England. Furthermore there was a
kerosene lamp on the table. Such mag
nificence will surely lead to bankruptcy.
As these out-of-theway places are not
prepared to refresh the inner man. eX-
cept as TO numbe one, my dragoman
had attended to Their commissary depart
ment before leaving Jerusalem. The ex-
cellent cook we had brought with us in
stalled himself in the kitchen and in due
time the filling up process was under
hnaHuraU an6 IT q H4JJtInn how
idly the viands disappeared and with
them that feeling of ''goneness'' and SEN
sation of fatigue and recklessness of
whether school keeps or not, so well
known to every old soldier who has ever
pared with his own hands dish SO pal
atable that, like Kellar with the butter,
| seemed to have a place in nay stomach
which nothing else had ever satisfied. [
know you will turn up your metaphorical
nose, when l give the thing away, but
if everryour system becomes reduced by
such fare as foreign travel has forced on
an unwilling stomach, you will rejoice
when dish you can relish is placed be-
fore you, be it ever SO plebian or I'M
known by any high sounding French
name. Well, my right bower had gone
out into the garden and gathered mess
of pig weed-otherwise-parsley. Then
he went amongst the tomato vines and
plucked some of the fruit thereof. Cast
ing his weather eye around him it rested
on an overburdened lemon tree, which,
out of gratitude to the relief afforded,
shed some of its juciest productions. The
first named was carefully picked over
and washed, the tomatoes were mixed in
after being sliced; salt, pepper and Wor-
ceStershire sauce were added to give it
tone. and the juice of the lemon took
away all thought that Jericho salad was
not as aristocratic as the swell vegetable
called lettuce, the never failing appear
ance of which at every dinner table |
have sat down to in three continents.
has become SO very repellant that when
| reach home [ shall erase the very name
Of it from my Webster.
We found this uncovered little inn a
pleasant retreat. notwithstanding the heat
was very oppressive. both on account
of the sun 5 rays, and that which would
naturally occur in consequence of the
great depreSsions that constitute this
the lowest area inhabited by man on the
face of the earth. [ laid around in the
shade wherever a spot seemed the most
inviting, until towards evening. when I
sauntered out with the dragoman on
foot to take look at the village. Mod
ern Jericho contains about three hun
dred people. principally Moslems, and OF
a very low type of humanity. The ma
jOrity of them are Africans who have
found a climate cOngeni&l to their half
civilized taste. Their dwellings are mere
novels and life is sustained with the least
possible effort TO gain a livelihood by the
sweat Of their brow. There is Russian
hospice here, rather fine. cOmmOdious
building constructed of stone with a
walled garden. containing tropical trees
and plants. 4 fine new hotel is also
nearly completed, and a small Greek
church constitute the new Jericho. The
gardens. of which there are a number.
abound in orange and lemon trees, the
latter being of two varieties. the sour
and sweet, the sweet lemons being mis-
homer, vet differing from the orange.
Bananas are raised quite abundantly. al
so pOmegranates. figs. dates and other
fruits OF which l could not
get the correct name. Dura is raised to
some extent. which furnishes the princi-
pal food of the inhabitants. The thorn
bushes of which | spoke rise TO the dig
nifty Of trees and produce little apple
not at all repugnant 10 the taste. This
tree also produces gum called jujUbe. /
from which has arisen cur imitation Of +
iuIube paste. sold by confectioners. 1t /
is said that the crown Of thorns was
made from this tree. The apples of I
Sodom also grow here. of which the IA 7,
bic relates-and it Is believed by many
that fair and seductive to the eve II at /
to be eaten they turn to ashes on (
the bps. They are. bright yellow. and .
about the size and shape of the yelk of /